The confirmation of most of the convictions, and the sentencing, of AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo yesterday should serve as a reminder that no one is above the law. The king in 1995 committed a number of crimes against his "subjects" and he thought his word was final. How wrong he was. He now faces 12 years in prison.What he did was shocking.Dalindyebo set fire to the houses of three subjects he wanted to evict on the grounds that they had breached tribal rules.He severely assaulted three young men alleged to have committed criminal acts. Without medical treatment they would have died.He delivered the body of a subject killed by his supporters to the man's father and ordered the father not to tell the truth about the circumstances of the death to the authorities.The time has come for all kings and chiefs to be subjected to the same laws we ordinary citizens have to contend with.We welcome the decision of the court in respect of the AbaThembu king but the same rule of law should apply to all, regardless of how powerful they are.The king was sentenced to 15 years by the Mthata High Court in 2009 but his appeal was heard only this year.The court said the constitution guaranteed equal treatment for all under the law, and that Dalindyebo had behaved shamefully and abused his position as king.The latest judgment is a reminder that everyone in authority, such as Dalindyebo, is obliged to act within the limits of the law and that no one is above the law.But we are worried that those with deep pockets and connections in high places can still get away with murder, literally and figuratively. Their cases drag on for years and then are forgotten, thanks to political intervention.Equality before the law must apply across the board...